Europe’s asylum paradox

When Russian tanks rolled across the Ukrainian border in February of last year, a wave of sympathy and solidarity rippled across Europe. The European Union, for the first time, implemented its Temporary Protection Directive, a mechanism under which Ukrainians have the right to work, and access to housing, education, healthcare and welfare. But, for refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere, things are very different.  

This is a special series from Context, supported by Journalismfund Europe, looking into the unprecedented use of the European Union's Temporary Protection Directive in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, and how it has created a two-tier system for people seeking a safe haven on the continent.